The hummingbirds are almost home!

According to the Hummingbird Tracker, our Ruby Throated Hummers have made it as far north as New Jersey. The males should start arriving in the Capital District next week as the weather warms and the flowers appear. If you want to attract one or are expecting returning hummers, now’s the time to get your feeders filled and ready. It is amazing that the hummingbirds that arrive now are the very same birds that spent the summer in my yard last year. I can’t wait for my little gang to return from wherever in Mexico or Central America they go for the winter.

The Ruby Throated Hummingbirds, the only hummers that we’ll see this far north, return in late April. The males arrive about a week before the females. When the males arrive after their long flight, they’ll have a nourishing snack waiting. That early in the season, many of the flowering plants that the hummers will feed on haven’t flowered yet.

Hummingbird feeders are always red. Hummingbirds don’t locate their food by smell but by sight. They’re particularly attracted to red and yellow so, to attract them you’ll want to include lots of plants in your landscape that have flowers of those colors.

Cardinal Climber Vine is a favorite of the Hummers.

Hummingbirds need nectar producing plants to provide the quick “sugar energy” to fuel their high-speed metabolism. There are many nectar-producing plants that they’d love to find in your yard. Azaleas, weigela, flowering quince, apples, honeysuckle, trumpet vine, morning glory, bee balm, foxglove, lupine, coral bells, petunia, fuchsia, salvia are all popular with hummingbirds. While red is the color that initially attracts them into an area, they’ll happily draw nectar from flowers of any color.

You should take the feeders down and clean them thoroughly every week. That’s about all there is to it. Once you have attracted a hummingbird into your yard, you can expect to see it regularly. They travel a regular route each day to find food so the trick is to make your yard appealing enough to keep them coming back.

You can make your own hummingbird food by mixing 1/4 cup sugar in 1 cup of hot water…never stronger. The water doesn’t have to be boiled, just as hot as you can get it from the tap. You can store unused sugar water in the ‘fridge for a week or so.

Here are a few interesting facts about these amazing birds. Hovering, their wings will beat about 50 times per SECOND. Their heart will beat about 900 times a minute. Hummingbirds are very aggressive and will harass birds as large as hawks that seem to be threatening their nesting site. Female hummingbirds build their tiny nests out of lichen held together with spider’s webs. Hummingbirds, due to their speed have few natural predators. Take some time to learn more about these amazing birds and you’ll be sure to want them in your yard. Thanks for the read